3.

(a) Note that we are given the CDF, FX(x) = P(X ≤ x) and it is a continuous function. Hence
P(2 ≤ X ≤ 8) = FX(8) – FX(2) = 0.8 – 0.4 = 0.4

(b) The median is defined by the particular x value where F(x) = 0.5, which occurs somewhere
along x = 2 and x = 6; precisely, the constant slope there gives
(0.5 – 0.4) / (xm – 2) = (0.6 – 0.4) / (6 – 2)
⇒ xm = 2 + 2 = 4

(c) The PDF is the derivative (i.e. slope) of the CDF, hence it is the following piecewise constant
function:

f (x)
X

0.2

0.1

0.05 0.05

2 6 10 x

(d) From the CDF, it is seen that one may view X as a discrete R.V. which takes on the
values 1, 4, 8 with respective probabilities 0.4, 0.2, 0.4 (recall probability = area of each
strip) for calculating E(X). Hence

E(X) = 1×0.4 + 4×0.2 + 8×0.4 = 4.4

(integration would give the same result)